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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · ball · bay · fork · wound · net · racket · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ball — a dance
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — after costs
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — certain
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. net — for catching
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rock — music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com